Volleyball Announces 30-Match Schedule

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - North Florida volleyball releases its full 2023 schedule, featuring 30 matches, 14 at home and two non-conference tournaments at the UNF Arena as the Ospreys get ready for the 33rd year of team competition.

North Florida is excited to play its first full season on the newly completed CSI Companies Court in the UNF Arena after the Ospreys played six conference matches at Jacksonville University's Swisher Gymnasium while the UNF Arena was being renovated in the fall of 2022.

"We set up a balanced schedule that is most suitable to prepare us for conference play," head coach Kristen Wright said. "We're excited about the challenges, travel and have an extremely mature and veteran squad to lead us. After playing on the road for most of last year we will certainly appreciate playing at home. Our goal is to pack the bowl and increase our attendance this year as we defend The Nest in front of our amazing community!"

Coast to Coast
UNF opens the season on the road all the way across the country in Santa Barbara, Calif., taking on Denver, New Mexico State and UCSB. Tucked in that week in California is an exhibition against San Diego State Aug. 22. The Ospreys will take on all three programs for the first time as UNF plays its first matches in California. It's the most westerly match North Florida will have played since opening the year in Laramie, Wyo., back in 2018.

North Florida begins September's matches the following weekend, this time on the Atlantic Coast when UNF plays an extremely competitive trio of matches in Conway, S.C. UNF takes on a weekend featuring games against Power Five foes in Georgia and TCU, while going up against host Coastal Carolina. It's North Florida's first trip to Coastal since facing Georgia Tech and Coastal Carolina Sept. 16-17, 2016.

Home Tournaments
The Ospreys are back in the swing of hosting non-conference tournaments when UNF begins a stretch of two-straight weekends in the UNF Arena. North Florida welcomes Texas Southern, Louisiana and Charlotte Sept. 8-9 before welcoming Alabama A&M, USF and USC Upstate the weekend after that.

North Florida did not host a single non-conference match at the UNF Arena last year after bringing in two tournaments the year prior.

Two Trips to Tally & League Play
The Ospreys play their final tune-up before ASUN play in Tallahassee at Florida State, Sept. 19, the first of two trips UNF makes the city's capitol on the year.

UNF starts a stretch of 16 league games over the final 18 contests of the season with two on the road Sept. 22 and 23. North Florida begins ASUN play at Stetson Sept. 22 and follows that up at reigning-ASUN champion FGCU the next day.

Despite playing three of the first four league games on the road, UNF hosts the River City Rumble Sept. 26 in the ASUN-home opener. UNF heads up north to Nashville Sept. 30 and returns to the Sunshine State Oct. 3 in the non-conference finale at Florida A&M Oct. 3.

The Ospreys get to stay home for their longest home stand in league play beginning Oct. 6 against Kennesaw State. The UNF Arena gets to continue that stint with home games against Queens Oct. 7, EKU Oct. 13 and Bellarmine the following day. Oct. 7's match against Queens marks the first home meeting between the two teams as ASUN foes.

One final road stretch remains as UNF stays on the road from Oct. 20 to Nov. 1 with road meetings against North Alabama, Central Arkansas, Queens, Kennesaw State and finally at JU Nov. 1.

The lone match of the year against Austin Peay is set for Nov. 4 at home as UNF prepares for contests against FGCU and Stetson the following weekend in the league finale.

Notables

30 total matches and 19 in the Sunshine State
UNF faces teams from 12 different conferences
North Florida is set to face three Power Five foes, including Florida State, Georgia and TCU
UNF plays out in California, the furthest out west North Florida has played since playing at Wyoming to open the 2018 season
Set for its ASUN opener Sept. 22 at Stetson
Plays its ASUN home opener Sept. 26 against JU in the first of two River City Rumble matches
16-game ASUN schedule
The Ospreys make their first trip to Central Arkansas
Play five matches against teams in last year's NCAA Tournament
Four first-time foes in Denver, New Mexico State, UCSB and Texas Southern
UNF hosts Queens and Austin Peay as league foes for the first time.

2022 Records from Upcoming '23 Opponents
Denver 19-12 (12-6 conf)
New Mexico State 16-12 (7-7 conf)
UCSB 8-17 (3-7 conf)
Georgia 22-7 (13-5 conf)
Coastal Carolina 17-13 (9-7 conf)
Texas Christian 17-11 (11-5 conf)
Texas Southern 9-19 (9-7 conf)
Louisiana 15-13 (8-8 conf)
Charlotte 11-16 (5-9 conf)
Alabama A&M 7-26 (6-11 conf)
USF 10-20 (4-14 conf)
USC Upstate 6-23 (3-13 conf)
Florida State 19-11 (11-7 conf)
Stetson 15-14 (6-10 conf)
FGCU 26-7 (13-3 conf)
JU 11-17 (5-11 conf)
Lipscomb 16-13 (12-4 conf)
FAMU 21-13 (15-1 conf)
KSU 18-10 (10-6 conf)
Queens 7-22 (2-14 conf)

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